The Role of Decompressive Craniectomy in Limited Resource Environments

Craniectomy and Cranioplasty Effects on Balance and Gait in Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Study

Objective

To analyze changes in balance and gait in patients undergoing rehabilitation postcraniectomy and postcranioplasty, including comparison of outcomes across time periods, rate of change, and among diagnoses.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Inpatient rehabilitation.

Participants

Fifty-three patients (mean age 52.3±16.9y; 62% male) with stroke, traumatic, or nontraumatic brain injury postcraniectomy or postcranioplasty.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and 10-meter walk test (10MWT) were collected at baseline, first discharge, readmission, and final discharge.

Results

Across the full rehabilitation course, all 4 outcomes improved: BBS, 17.9 points (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.7-23.2); FGA, 7.8 points (95% CI, 0.6-15.0); 6MWT, 141.0 m (95% CI, 89.0-192.0); and 10MWT, 0.381 m/s (95% CI, 0.188-0.575). All outcomes improved at postcraniectomy admission: BBS, 13.0 points (95% CI, 8.4-17.5); FGA, 4.0 points (95% CI. -1.65 to 9.65); 6MWT, 100.0 m (95% CI, 58.2-142.0); and 10MWT, 0.160 m/s (95% CI, 0.004-0.316). During leave of absence from rehabilitation, BBS decreased 6.3 points (95% CI, -11.8 to -0.8); FGA decreased 6.6 points (95% CI, -13.8 to 0.6); 6MWT decreased 19.2 m (95% CI, -73.5 to 35.2); and 10MWT increased 0.089 m/s (95% CI, -0.097 to 0.276). All outcomes improved at postcranioplasty admission: BBS, 11.3 points (95% CI, 6.6-16.0); FGA, 10.4 points (95% CI, 4.8-16.1); 6MWT, 59.4 m (95% CI, 14.1-105.0); and 10MWT, 0.132 m/s (95% CI, -0.039 to 0.303). Diagnosis was not associated with changes in outcomes.

Conclusions

Gait and balance outcomes improved during postcraniectomy and postcranioplasty rehabilitation admissions but not immediately post cranioplasty.

Basic study on cryopreservation of rat calvarial osteoblasts with different cryoprotectants

Cryopreservation is a method adopted for storage of autologous skulls. Herein, this current research sought to explore the effects of different cryoprotectants on the biological characteristics of rat calvarial osteoblasts after cryopreservation. Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were selected and their skull tissues were isolated. The skull tissues were allocated into the refrigerating-3M, refrigerating-6M, M199-3M, M199-6M, povidone iodine-3M, and povidone iodine-6M groups according to the usage of cryoprotectants and treatment time (month) and the fresh group. Osteoblasts were isolated from skull tissues in each group through digestion. The histomorphology of the skull was evaluated by H&E staining and cell morphology was observed by microscopy. The viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and osteogenic activity of osteoblasts were assessed by trypan blue staining, MTT, flow cytometry, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining. The skull histomorphology and osteoblast morphology were similar between the fresh and refrigerating groups. Osteoblast viability was weakened after cryopreservation. The longer the refrigeration time, the lower the number of living cells and the higher the apoptosis rate. However, cryopreservation using different cryoprotectants did not evidently affect osteoblast proliferation and ALP activity. Different cryoprotectants show no apparent effect on the osteogenic activity of rat calvarial osteoblasts after cryopreservation.

Role of Decompressive Craniectomy in the Treatment of Malignant Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Single Center Consecutive Case Series Study in China

OBJECTIVE

Patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) may die during the acute phase due to increased intracranial pressure and cerebral herniation. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of decompressive craniectomy in the treatment of patients with malignant CVST.

METHODS

Patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy and were consequently admitted to the Critical Care Unit, Department of Neurosurgery, at Capital Medical University Xuanwu Hospital from March 2010 to January 2021 were retrospectively examined with follow-up data at 12 months.

RESULTS

In total, 14 cases were reviewed, including 9 female and 5 male patients, aged 23-63 years (42.7 ± 12.3 years). Prior to surgery, all patients had a GCS score <9. 6 patients had a unilateral dilated pupil, while 4 patients had bilateral dilated pupils. According to the head computed tomography (CT), all patients had hemorrhagic infarction, and the median midline shift was 9.5 mm before surgery. Thirteen patients underwent unilateral decompressive craniectomy, and 1 patient underwent bilateral decompressive craniectomy, among whom, 9 patients underwent hematoma evacuation. Within 3 weeks of surgery, 3 cases (21.43%) resulted in death, with 2 patients dying from progressive intracranial hypertension and 1 from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Eleven patients (78.57%) survived after surgery, of whom 4 (28.57%) patients recovered without disability at 12-month follow-up (mRS 0-1), 2 (14.29%) patients had moderate disability (mRS 2-3), and 5 (35.71%) patients had severe disability (mRS 4-5).

CONCLUSIONS

Emergent decompressive craniectomy may provide a chance for survival and enable patients with malignant CVST to achieve an acceptable quality of life (QOL).

Targeted Public Health Training for Neurosurgeons: An Essential Task for the Prioritization of Neurosurgery in the Evolving Global Health Landscape

The gap between the tremendous burden of neurological disease requiring surgical management and the limited capacity for neurosurgical care has fueled the growth of the global neurosurgical movement. It is estimated that an additional 23 300 neurosurgeons are needed to meet the burden posed by essential cases across the globe. Initiatives to increase neurosurgical capacity through systems strengthening and workforce development are key elements in correcting this deficit. Building on the growing interest in global health among neurosurgical trainees, we propose the integration of targeted public health education into neurosurgical training, in both high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries. This effort will ensure that graduates possess the fundamental skillsets and experience necessary to participate in and lead capacity-building efforts in the developing countries. This additional public health training can also help neurosurgical residents to achieve the core competencies outlined by accreditation boards, such as the Accreditation Committee on Graduate Medical Education in the United States. In this narrative review, we describe the global burden of neurosurgical disease, establish the need and role for the global neurosurgeon, and discuss pathways for implementing targeted global public health education in the field of neurosurgery.

Decompressive Craniectomy for Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in Low-and-Middle Income and High Income Countries

Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in children worldwide. In severe cases, high intracranial pressure is the most frequent cause of death. When first-line medical management fails, the neurosurgical procedure of decompressive craniectomy (DC) has been proposed for controlling intracranial pressure and improving the long-term outcomes for children with severe traumatic brain injury. However, the use of this procedure is controversial. The evidence from clinical trials shows some promise for the use of DC as an effective second-line treatment. However, it is limited by conflicting trial results, a lack of trials, and a high risk of bias. Furthermore, most research comes from retrospective observational studies and case series. This narrative review considers the strength of evidence for the use of DC in both a high income country and low-and-middle income country setting and examine how we can improve study design to better assess the efficacy of this procedure and increase the clinical translatability of results to centers worldwide. Specifically, we argue for a need for further studies with higher pediatric participant numbers, multicenter collaboration, and the use of a more consistent methodology to enable comparability of results among settings.

How to manage traumatic brain injury without invasive monitoring?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an extremely serious health problem, especially in low-middle income countries (LMICs). The prevalence of severe TBI continues to increase in LMICs. Major limitations in the chain of care for TBI patients are common in LMICs including suboptimal or nonexistent prehospital care, overburdened emergency services, lack of trained human resources and limited availability of ICUs. Basic neuromonitoring, such as intracranial pressure, are unavailable or underutilized and advanced techniques are not available.

RECENT FINDINGS

Attention to fundamental principles of TBI care in LMICs, including early categorization, prevention and treatment of secondary insults, use of low-cost technology for evaluation of intracranial bleeding and neuromonitoring, and emphasis on education of human resources and multidisciplinary work, are particularly important in LMICs. Institutional collaborations between high-income and LMICs have developed evidence focused on available resources. Accordingly, an expert group have proposed consensus recommendations for centers without availability of invasive brain monitoring.

SUMMARY

Severe TBI is very prevalent in LMIC and neuromonitoring is often not available in these environments. When intracranial pressure monitors are not available, careful attention to changes on clinical examination, serial imaging and noninvasive monitoring techniques can help recognize intracranial hypertension and effectively guide treatment decisions.

Surgical intervention and patient factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury at a tertiary care hospital in Uganda

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether neurosurgical intervention for traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with reduced risks of death and clinical deterioration in a low-income country with a relatively high neurosurgical capacity. The authors further aimed to assess whether the association between surgical intervention and acute poor outcomes differs according to TBI severity and various patient factors.

METHODS

Using TBI registry data collected from a national referral hospital in Uganda between July 2016 and April 2020, the authors performed Cox regression analyses of poor outcomes in admitted patients who did and did not undergo surgery for TBI, with surgery as a time-varying treatment variable. Patients were further stratified by TBI severity using the admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score: mild TBI (mTBI; GCS scores 13-15), moderate TBI (moTBI; GCS scores 9-12), and severe TBI (sTBI; GCS scores 3-8). Poor outcomes constituted Glasgow Outcome Scale scores 2-3, deterioration in TBI severity between admission and discharge (e.g., mTBI to sTBI), and death. Several clinical and demographic variables were included as covariates. Patients were observed for outcomes from admission through hospital day 10.

RESULTS

Of 1544 patients included in the cohort, 369 (24%) had undergone surgery. Rates of poor outcomes were 4% (n = 13) for surgical patients and 12% (n = 144) among nonsurgical patients (n = 1175). Surgery was associated with a 59% reduction in the hazard for a poor outcome (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23-0.72). Age, pupillary nonreactivity, fall injury, and TBI severity at admission were significant covariates. In models stratifying by TBI severity at admission, patients with mTBI had an 80% reduction in the hazard for a poor outcome with surgery (HR 0.20, 95% CI 0.04-0.90), whereas those with sTBI had a 65% reduction (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.89). Patients with moTBI had a statistically nonsignificant 56% reduction in hazard (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.17-1.17).

CONCLUSIONS

In this setting, the association between surgery and rates of poor outcomes varied with TBI severity and was influenced by several factors. Patients presenting with mTBI had the greatest reduction in the hazard for a poor outcome, followed by those presenting with sTBI. However, patients with moTBI had a nonsignificant reduction in the hazard, indicating greater variability in outcomes and underscoring the need for closer monitoring of this population. These results highlight the importance of accurate, timely clinical evaluation throughout a patient's admission and can inform decisions about whether and when to perform surgery for TBI when resources are limited.

Management of severe traumatic brain injury in regions with limited resources

IMPORTANCE

Severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) is a critical health problem in regions of limited resources (RLRs). Younger populations are among the most impacted. The objective of this review is to analyze recent consensus-based algorithms, protocols and guidelines proposed for the care of patients with TBI in RLRs.

OBSERVATIONS

The principal mechanisms for sTBI in RLRs are road traffic injuries (RTIs) and violence. Limitations of care include suboptimal or non-existent pre-hospital care, overburdened emergency services, lack of trained human resources, and surgical and intensive care. Low-cost neuromonitoring systems are currently in testing, and formal neurotrauma registries are forming to evaluate both long-term outcomes and best practices at every level of care from hospital transport to the emergency department (ED), to the operating room and intensive care unit (ICU).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The burden of sTBI is highest in RLRs. As working-age adults are the predominantly affected age-group, an increase in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) generates a loss of economic growth in regions where economic growth is needed most. Four multi-institutional collaborations between high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs have developed evidence and consensus-based documents focused on capacity building for sTBI care as a means of addressing this substantial burden of disease.

International Neurotrauma Training Based on North-South Collaborations: Results of an Inter-institutional Program in the Era of Global Neurosurgery

Objective: Shortage of general neurosurgery and specialized neurotrauma care in low resource settings is a critical setback in the national surgical plans of low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Neurotrauma fellowship programs typically exist in high-income countries (HIC), where surgeons who fulfill the requirements for positions regularly stay to practice. Due to this issue, neurosurgery residents and medical students from LMICs do not have regular access to this kind of specialized training and knowledge-hubs. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a recently established neurotrauma fellowship program for neurosurgeons of LMICs in the framework of global neurosurgery collaborations, including the involvement of specialized parallel education for neurosurgery residents and medical students. Methods: The Global Neurotrauma Fellowship (GNTF) program was inaugurated in 2015 by a multi-institutional collaboration between a HIC and an LMIC. The course organizers designed it to be a 12-month program based on adapted neurotrauma international competencies with the academic support of the Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital and Meditech Foundation in Colombia. Since 2018, additional support from the UK, National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research in Neurotrauma Project from the University of Cambridge enhanced the infrastructure of the program, adding a research component in global neurosurgery and system science. Results: Eight fellows from Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Pakistan, and Colombia have been trained and certified via the fellowship program. The integration of international competencies and exposure to different systems of care in high-income and low-income environments creates a unique environment for training within a global neurosurgery framework. Additionally, 18 residents (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, Germany, Spain, and the USA), and ten medical students (the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, and Colombia) have also participated in elective rotations of neurotrauma and critical care during the time of the fellowship program, as well as in research projects as part of an established global surgery initiative. Conclusion: We have shown that it is possible to establish a neurotrauma fellowship program in an LMIC based on the structure of HIC formal training programs. Adaptation of the international competencies focusing on neurotrauma care in low resource settings and maintaining international mentoring and academic support will allow the participants to return to practice in their home-based countries.

Consensus statement from the international consensus meeting on post-traumatic cranioplasty

Background

Due to the lack of high-quality evidence which has hindered the development of evidence-based guidelines, there is a need to provide general guidance on cranioplasty (CP) following traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as identify areas of ongoing uncertainty via a consensus-based approach.

Methods

The international consensus meeting on post-traumatic CP was held during the International Conference on Recent Advances in Neurotraumatology (ICRAN), in Naples, Italy, in June 2018. This meeting was endorsed by the Neurotrauma Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma, and several other neurotrauma organizations. Discussions and voting were organized around 5 pre-specified themes: (1) indications and technique, (2) materials, (3) timing, (4) hydrocephalus, and (5) paediatric CP.

Results

The participants discussed published evidence on each topic and proposed consensus statements, which were subject to ratification using anonymous real-time voting. Statements required an agreement threshold of more than 70% for inclusion in the final recommendations.

Conclusions

This document is the first set of practical consensus-based clinical recommendations on post-traumatic CP, focusing on timing, materials, complications, and surgical procedures. Future research directions are also presented.

Combined Decompressive Hemicraniectomy and Port-Based Minimally Invasive Parafascicular Surgery for the Treatment of Subcortical Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Case Series, Technical Note, and Review of Literature

BACKGROUND

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a neurosurgical emergency. Combined decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) and minimally invasive parafascicular surgery (MIPS) may provide a practical method of managing subcortical ICH.

OBJECTIVE

1) To present a case series of combined DHC-MIPS for the treatment of subcortical-based ICH; 2) to describe technical nuances of DHC-MIPS; and 3) to provide a literature overview of MIPS for ICH.

METHODS

The following inclusion criteria were used: 1) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score <3-4; 2) admission within 6 hours of onset; 3) increased intracranial pressure caused by hemorrhage; 4) patient unresponsive to medical management; 5) hemorrhage >30 cm³; 6) subcortical location; and 7) midline shift (mm). Before DHC, sulcal cannulation used the following coordinates: intersection of tragus-frontal bone and midpoint of midpupillary line and midline; coronal suture: 3-4 cm posterior to this point).

RESULTS

Three patients were selected: a 62-year old woman, a 45-year old woman, and a 36-year-old man. GCS and ICH scores on admission were 7 and 3, 3 and 4, and 3 and 4, respectively. ICH was located in left basal ganglia in patients 1 and 3 and right basal ganglia in patient 2, all with intraventricular extension. ICH volume was 81.7, 68.2, and 42.3 cm³, respectively. The postoperative GCS score was 11, 10, and 6, respectively. There were no intraoperative complications or mortalities. Evacuation was within 15 minutes in all patients. The modified Rankin Scale score was 3, 4, and 5, respectively, with semi-independence in case 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined DHC-MIPS, with the use of craniometric points, can provide a unique and simple surgical option for the management of subcortical ICH.

Decompressive Craniectomy in Traumatic Brain Injury: An Institutional Experience of 131 Cases in Two Years

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) effectively reduces intracranial pressure (ICP), but is not considered to be a first-line procedure. We retrospectively analyzed sociodemographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics associated with the prognosis of patients who underwent DC to treat traumatic intracranial hypertension (ICH) at the Restauração Hospital (HR) in Recife, Brazil between 2015 and 2016, and compared the clinical features with surgical timing and functional outcome at discharge. The data were collected from 131 medical records in the hospital database. A significant majority of the patients were young adults (age 18-39 years old; 75/131; 57.3%) and male (118/131; 90.1%). Road traffic accidents, particularly those involving motorcycles (57/131; 44.5%), were the main cause of the traumatic event. At initial evaluation, 63 patients (48.8%) were classified with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Pupil examination showed no abnormalities for 91 patients (71.1%), and acute subdural hematoma was the most frequently observed lesion (83/212; 40%). Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score was used to categorize surgical results and 51 patients (38.9%) had an unfavorable outcome. Only the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission (score of 3-8) was more likely to be associated with unfavorable outcome (p-value = 0.009), indicating that this variable may be a determinant of mortality and prognostic of poor outcome. Patients who underwent an operation sooner after injury, despite having a worse condition on admission, presented with clinical results that were similar to those of patients who underwent surgery 12 h after hospital admission. These results emphasize the importance of early DC for management of severe TBI. This study shows that DC is a common procedure used to manage TBI patients at HR.

Long-term follow-up of custom-made porous hydroxyapatite cranioplasty in adult patients: a multicenter European study. Can we trust self-reported complications?

BACKGROUND

Cranioplasty is a surgical intervention aiming to re-establish the integrity of skull defects. Autologous bone and different heterologous materials are used for this purpose, with various reported related complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the complication rate in a multicentric cohort of patients underwent porous hydroxyapatite (PHA) cranioplasty implantation and to assess the validity of company post-market clinical analysis.

METHODS

Authors analyzed a company based register of 6279 PHA cranioplasty implanted all over the world. In these adult patients only self-reported complications were available. We then obtained the data of adult patients treated with custom-made porous HA prostheses (CustomBone Service) in 20 institutions from different European countries through an on-site interview with the physicians in charge of the patients (494 patients). The endpoints were the incidence of adverse events and of related implant removal.

RESULTS

The groups of patients had similar demographics characteristics. The average follow-up was 26.7 months. A significantly higher number of complications was recorded in the group of patients underwent onsite interview. Thirty-nine complications were reported (7.89%) with an explantation rate of 4.25% (21 cases) in the series, compared to the data reported from the Company (complications rate of 3.3% and explantation rate of 3.1%). The most common complications were infection (4.86%), hematomas (1.22%), fractures (1.01%), mobilization (0.4%) and scar retraction (0.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data confirm that porous HA cranioplasty is at least as effective as other heterologous materials to repair cranial defects. Another interesting finding is that self-reporting complicantions by surgeons does not give a precise picture of the real rate of complications of the devices. These data in future studies need to be re-confirmed with on-site interviews.

Protocol-Based Early Decompressive Craniectomy in a Resource-Constrained Environment: A Tertiary Care Hospital Experience

OBJECTIVES

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is an emergency life-saving procedure used to treat refractory intracranial hypertension (RICH). The authors aim to analyze their experience with protocol-based early DC (<24 h) in RICH cases diagnosed based on clinical and radiological evidence, without preoperative intracranial pressure monitoring done over 10 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective, observational study which includes 58 consecutive patients who underwent protocol-based early DC by the senior author at a single institution between 2007 and 2017. Background variables and outcome in the form of Glasgow Outcome Score-Extended (GOS-E) at 6 months and 1 year were analyzed.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients had traumatic brain injury (TBI), 17 had intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), 14 had malignant cerebral infarcts (MCI), and the reminder 13 patients had other causes. At 6 months, the mortality rate was 22.4%. Good recovery, moderate disability, and severe disability were seen in 13.8%, 17.2%, and 43.1% of patients, respectively. Two patients were in vegetative state. The cutoff for favorable/unfavorable outcome was defined as GOS-E 4-8/1-3. By this application, 63.8% of patients had favorable outcome at 6 months. The favorable outcome in patients of TBI, ICH, and MCI was 57.1%, 58.8%, and 85.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

DC helps in obtaining a favorable outcome in selected patients with a defined pathology. The diagnosis of RICH based on clinical and radiological parameters, and protocol-based early DC, is reasonably justified as the way forward for resource-constrained environments. The risk of vegetative state is small.

Clinical Aspects, Diagnosis and Management of Cerebral Vein and Dural Sinus Thrombosis: A Literature Review

Cerebral vein and dural sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon cause of stroke, but its delayed diagnosis carries significant morbidity and mortality. Several studies have reported higher incidence of CVST than that previously reported. The clinical presentation of CVST varies and can be atypical. Advancement in neuroimaging modalities has made it possible to make an early diagnosis and initiate management with a wide range of therapeutic options, including direct oral anticoagulants and endovascular treatment. This narrative review summarizes the epidemiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis and management of CVST.